Our brain is like a core of our body that basically runs all the functions in our body. In the whole human being life, brain observes the surrounding, retrieve the information and store it into the brain. It is a never-ending process until the life spam of the body ends. Each person’s brain reacts differently in situations even if they go through the same event. This is because their senses focus on different things in the same event. Every person’s brain reacts differently because of its plasticity due to the experience and memories throughout the life. Almost everything around you shape up your brain especially what you pay attention to or focus on. In today’s society the first person shooting games are famous and almost every teenager plays the first person shooting games. The first-person shooting games are actually the games that have first person’s point of view. In other words the screen display is nearly same as your eyes see in real life. It has more realistic features that attract an individual’s brain. Due to its realism, it has negative impact on human brain as well the violent first-person shooting games lead to harmful acts, causes addiction and affects your health. The new technology like Cyberith Virtualizer and Oculus Rift made these games more realistic and have even more negative impact on the brain.

Few examples of first person shooting games

Due to the violent first person shooting games many tragedies happened that were caused by first person violent games. According to Bilton who wrote article “Gaming industry shows little patience for worries about realistic violence; Diruptions”, “researchers believe that the constant flood of violent images takes away a child’s ability to feel empathy for people who have been through similar situation in real life” (Bilton2). It indicates that the violent first person shooting games have negative impact on brain that could take away a child ability to feel empathy for others. In other words it could make children more violent and can cause problems like shootings and attempt to harm other people. Furthermore Bilton explained, “after the Sandy Hook shootings in Connecticut, when it becomes clear that Adam Lanza was a fan of first-person shooters, including the popular military game Call of Duty” (Bilton2). The violent first person shooting games lead to harmful acts just as shooting incident in Sandy Hooks that was cause by a first-person shooter fan Adam Lanza and it lead to many injuries and deaths. In addition, “The mass shootings in recent years in Newtown, Conn. and Aurora, Colo., were both committed by young men who had regularly played first-person shooters” (Bilton1). The first-person shooting games effect a person’s brain that change the thinking of a person and lead to violence that took away many people’s lives. Moreover Deanworth who wrote article “Brain-Changing Games” explained about the effects of games on brain, “of more concern are studies across thousands of gamers indicating that regularly exposure to violent video games accounts for 1 to 4 percent of the many possible triggers for aggression” (Denworth5). There are percentages of people that get negatively affected by the first-person shooting games and they get aggressive. It proves that violent first-person shooting games have negative effects on person brain and lead to harmful acts.

The first-person shooting games cause addiction and your body gets affected that leads to problem in real life. According to my friend Bilal Shadizai, “I love to play games. Especially the first-person shooting games like Call of Duty, Modern Warfare and Battlefield 4. Sometimes I don’t study because of the game that never let me to leave it until I get tired”(Shadizai par5). This shows that first-person shooting games have factors that keep your attention towards the game and you never want to leave it until you get tired or something important comes up. In addition, “playing video games might even ameliorate certain visual disorders” (Denwoth2). It illustrates that first person shooting games require focus of sight and if you play it more than average time it effects your vision which could lead to certain types of visual disorders. My mother Mah Jabeen who is 52 years old explained her perspective about the first person shooting games, “ I personally never get interested in games and I don’t like these violent games because it spoils kids and they play games instead of studying” (Jabeen par7). In old times there were no digital games that had attracted so much attention and realism comparing to modern games. It cause addictions and person keep himself or herself busy in games and ignore things that are needed to be done to progress in life. The basic idea is first person shooting games cause addiction and effects person’s vision and also make them lazy.

The technology is developing really fast in the present age. There are many technologies that run first person shooting games but now they have created new virtual reality technology that has made these games more realistic which makes a person feels that he or she is in the game. However, it can have many negative impacts on the brain. According to Weger who did research on effects on virtual reality technology gaming on brain, “the point of view we adopt during video gaming thus appears to have implications that extend beyond the virtual environment, into real life”(Weger4). This points out that when we use virtual reality technology for gaming we adapt our surroundings in the game and turn it in to real life, which causes a person to react to the situations in games that seems to be real in his or her perspective. In some cases, it causes stroke. In addition “aggressive video gaming has been shown to lead to dehumanization and more disengagement”(Weger1). This tells that playing violent games cause people to act aggressive and virtual reality gears like that make it much more effective. The new virtual reality technology making games more realistic but it has negative impact on brain because it makes person brain to adapt the game environment and replace it to the real environment.

Some might say first person shooting games improve your visual and decision making skills. The video game players use brain more efficiently. According to Denworth, “spatial reasoning also improved after playing Halo, as determined two standard tests of this skill taken before and after the session” (Denworth3). In other words playing first person shooting games improves your learning and spatial reasoning skills based on the experiments that were performed. In addition, “new psychological studies are finding that as violent games become more realistic, constantly playing them can lead to a desensitization toward real violence” (Bilton1). This shows that playing violent games make children less sensitive towards violence. However, playing first person shooting game is good just to certain extent if you play it on daily basis it causes negative impact on the brain. It causes violence that leads to “a connection between games and gun violence”(Bilton2). It tells that violent first person shooting games lead to gun violence in real life because of it affect on human brain. Also the use of virtual reality technology for the first person shooting games can promote violence and effects the ability of vision.

So it is proved that first person shooting games have negative impact on brain because it cause addiction, promote violence and new virtual reality technologies making these games more realistic and have deep impact on the brain. Even if you play violent games and doesn’t seem to be effecting you but your brain focus on game and shape from it and in some ways it change the way you think. It also effects the decision you make in your life. There are still experiments going on to find more about how first person shooting games affect our brain in other ways. Just as the technology evolving there are more progression in studies for the affects of first person shooting games on brain but our brain is too complex and its hard to understand how it works but the limited use of violent first person shooting games can avoid these problems.

Work Cited

Bilton, Nick. “Gaming industry shows little patience for worries about realistic violence; Disruptions.” International New York Times. (June 16, 2014 Monday ): 918 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2015/12/11.

Denworth, Lydia. “Brain-Changing Games.” Scientific American Mind 23.6 (2013): 28-35. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

Jabeen, Mah, Personal interview.2 Dec 2015
Shadizai, Bilal. Personal interview. 2 Dec 2015

Weger U, Loughnan S. Virtually numbed: Immersive video gaming alters real-life experience. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review [serial on the Internet]. (2014, Apr), [cited December 11, 2015]; 21(2): 562-565. Available from: Academic Search Complete.

I believe that one’s future depends on what he/she do today. I study at New York City College of Technology (City Tech). My major is computer information systems (CIS). It is under the Computer System Technology Department, which belongs to the School of Technology and Design. I am getting a AAS degree in CIS at City Tech and after that, I will transfer to Baruch to get a bachelors degree in CIS (Btech) because I want to graduate from a higher rank college. After my studies, I will become a contract programmer that work for other companies through contracts and I will also start my own company where programmers will be recruited and help to find jobs with fair pay rate. Moreover it will help to decrease the number unemployment in America. Before coming to America, I had already taken computer courses in Pakistan. I was appointed as an assistant of my computer teacher because of my good grades in computer course. My brother used to teach me about programming and guided me on what to do next in college. Furthermore, I believe this is best career for me because I have been interested in computers since childhood. Moreover, there are good job opportunities, follow my brother’s footsteps and technology has been developed lately. With that said, in this essay my goal will be to explain the background information of my major (CIS), my reasons for selecting this major, and the things that I will do to be excellent in my career that I choose and also support these with the textual evidence that I researched on.

In computer information systems, you basically learn about different computer programming languages and about business management. After graduation, the options you get in this career are “computer programming, database programming and administration, web programming, and systems/network administration and support” (City Tech 222). You don’t get high pay rate job as programmer right after the graduation. You need to have at least 5 years experience to get higher pay rate job. Firstly, you start as a tester then you get experience from projects and other companies hire you based on your resume. To become an IT manager it takes 7-10 years of experience. In programming, there is a new team that is recently introduced called digital team. It’s not common right now but the idea is spreading. Its main purpose is to handle the main web of the company (basically administrator) and look over other programmers that are working on the project. From getting a CIS degree, you can also start your own business by having a good business knowledge that you learned from your courses of CIS. I want to study hard and spend extra time to study to improve my education at City Tech.

Interest in computers since childhood and good opportunities for job made me choose to do CIS. When I was 7 years old it was first time I saw computer in my life. It made me excited due to the functions that it performs. By the time passes I wanted to learn more about it and wanted to learn how to use it. Then I began to learn about computers in elementary school in Pakistan. At that time, the technology was not really well developed and had really slow computers with less features, comparing to technology now a days. I learned basics of using computer, then I began to use painting application in computer for fun. When I reached in fifth grade, I learned using Microsoft Excel. I learned, how to make report cards for school and I helped teacher in making report cards and I joined computer club and was appointed as an assistant of my computer professor. From that day I set my goal to become a computer programmer. I also have interest in business but I want to combine computer programming and business as my career. I’m still thinking about a business idea that was never been introduced about computer programming. This major contains both aspects that I want to learn about. According to City Tech catalog, “ understanding current business practices in computer system technology” (City Tech 222). Currently, this major helps you to understand about business and also about computer programming. Computer programming has more job opportunities comparing to past few years because of the development in technology. According to the occupational outlook handbook, “ [the] employment of computer programmers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Computer programming can be done from anywhere in the world, so companies sometimes hire programmers in countries where wages are lower” (United States par.6). This shows that job opportunities in computer programming are increasing really fast as compared to other jobs and this job can be done from any part of the world so people from other countries also get opportunities to get a job as computer programmer that can contribute to the innovative ideas about computer programming. Furthermore, “nationally, the demand for computer information system analysts, specialist, and managers is predicted to increase from 274,000 in 2008 to 402,000 by 2018” (Lodgher 1). So, we can see that computer programming has more job opportunities and also requires innovative skills to do the job.

Another reason why I choose this major is because I inspire my brother and want to follow his footsteps. When I was in fourth grade my brother bought a computer in his 9^th grade. He had really interest in technology. He always locked up his room and did experiments on his computer. I always observed him while he was using computer and learnt how to use computer. He chose to do computer science and became a computer programmer. He is working as a programmer. When I told him that I am also going to do computer programming he decided to teach me Java (a computer language used for programming). He is still teaching me about programming and shares his projects with me so I can learn about programming from it. He also teaches me how to act as professional and ways to impress the people interview you. Since childhood I was inspired by from my brother’s achievements and wanted to become like him. When I lost my father, my brother left his studies and tried to find a good job. At that time he was working at a gas station. He realized that it’s not going to be enough to survive. He tried to apply for a job as a computer programmer. After a month he got a job at Maine and he used his own knowledge of computer programming to get a job because he didn’t do much courses in college so he had to rely on what he learned on his own. This evokes interest in me to become like my brother but he wanted to me to study and get a degree that he couldn’t get. I want to get degree in CIS to fulfill my brother’s desire. He spent his life to fulfill responsibility as a brother and son. Now I believe it’s my turn to fulfill my duty as a brother and help my brother to take care to family. So I chose this major because I idolize my brother and want to fulfill desire to get a degree in CIS.

The technology is developing really fast and computers are taking over many jobs. Due to the development in technology there are changes occurring in computer programming and it requires innovative skills. According to Lodgher, “smart organizations however use technologies to innovate and to move up the chain from cutting costs to enhancing products to reaching new customers” (Lodgher 4). In other words computer programming one needs innovative skills because technology is developing, and for this purpose innovative minds are required that could lead to the development of the world. Furthermore, Lodgher explained, “ these technologies provide innovative ways of enhancing and changing everyday systems, making them more intelligent and easy to use” (Lodgher 2). This tells that new technologies are used in innovative ways that helps to develop the computer-programming field and increase the knowledge of programmers that use these new technologies. As the technology developing programmers need to have innovative brains because they have to “work alone, but sometimes with other computer specialists on large projects” (United States, “Work Environment” par.2). Similarly as a programmer you normally work alone and need to have innovative brain to achieve your goal. With that said technology is developing day by day and computers are taking over some jobs, innovative minds are required to develop the technology fields.

All in all, this essay emphasizes the importance of becoming a computer programmer for me. I have to fulfill my brother’s desire and to fulfill my responsibility of taking care of my family with my brother. To excel my studies first I have to get AAS degree in CIS. After that I will transfer to other top college and get a bachelors degree in CIS. Then I will do internship job which is required for this major and for my good resume. I will also start a business that will be really different and will include computer programming. I will do that business and computer programming together. My dream job is to become a senior programmer in the top company of the world with high pay rate. There is a lot of competition in this field but I have to fight through to achieve my goal. There is nothing that one can’t do.

             Work Cited

Lodgher, Akhtar, and Kiranmai Bellam. “Teaching Innovation to Graduate Students in Computer Information Systems (CIS).” Communications of the IIMA 11.2 Aug. 2011: 1-7.EBSCO. 25 Oct. 2015

New York City College of Technology- College-Catalog  2015-2016 (City Tech). New york:  New york City College of Technology, 2015 PDF.  

United states Department of labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics “Computer Programmers”. Occupation Outlook Handbook. Washington: Bureau of Labor Statistics,8 Jan. 2014. Web. 5 Nov,2015

United states Department of labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics “Computer Programmers”. “Work Environment”. Occupation Outlook Handbook. Washington: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Jan. 2014.Web. 5 Nov,2015

My name is Sher I Syed and I was born in Brooklyn New York but raised in my parent’s homeland Pakistan. I am majoring in Computer Programming at the City Tech College. My name was given to me by my grandmother but she died after 15 days when I born because she suffered from cancer. I believe life never remains the same. There are circumstances that lead us to changes in our lives, that is what occurred to me. In my parent’s homeland, I studied hard and learned about my culture and religion. However, while I was in Pakistan, I experienced a tragic turning point in my life when my father passed away. My father was everything to me and his lost impacted my life. With my father’s demise, I began to notice some relative’s real faces, which opened my eyes but weakened my trust in people. My father took care of his brothers and sister and supported the financially because he was the only one who had a job in the household. He helped his brothers and sister to migrate to America and helped them to achieve citizenship of America. However, when my father died, his siblings turned their back on me and my family. They wanted all my father’s money and property that he left after he died. My father was a religious person and I wanted to carry his teachings and cultural values within my life. After 2 years, due to issues with relatives and my mother’s health we had to move back to America. When I came to New York, I saw a new environment and a new culture; everything was different than the life style that I experienced in Pakistan. To live here I had to adapt this new culture but also had to respect my cultural values, which interested me on how I was going to be able to balance my native culture while being introduced to a new culture. Indeed, moving to America caused changes to my personal and social life. However, It also set new goals in my life and it gave me the opportunity to advance my studies. Moving to America helped me learn a new language.

Moving to America and seeing a new culture had various effects on my personal life. Before moving to America, I used to wear my culture clothes but when I moved to America I saw new types of clothes and had to wear them due to American culture. However, I still like to wear my native cultural clothes that are Shalwar and Qameez. When I visited Pakistan a few months ago, I bought many of my cultural outfits and brought them with me to America. The relationship with my family also changed. We all can speak English but still choose to talk to each other in our native language. We share new things that we learn and increase each other’s knowledge. I am the youngest child at home including my twin brother. My brothers and sisters help us deal with college life, they show us what we should do in college and how to get higher grades in classes. In America almost every teenager has a life partner and even people ask me if I have a girlfriend but my religion and culture doesn’t allow me to have girlfriends so I stay away from that. However, I have to talk to girls in my class or outside due to American culture but I talk respectfully and in a humble manner the way my parents have taught me.

                                                                    These are my cultural clothes

Earlier in Pakistan I use to depend on other people (servants in Pakistan, servants do not cost a lot), never tried to do my work alone because I knew that other people could do it for me. I was raised in a really luxurious way, because in Pakistan it was easy to live a luxurious life. When I came to America, everything was different I had to do my own work and things were expensive. It was harder life comparing to Pakistan because it was all depended on me. My life changed when I came to America, from my dress code, to family bond and the experiences of this diverse world.

As I moved to America the introduction to a new culture affected my social life and behavior. My parents raised me in a really religious environment where they never let me go outside and make new friends because they were afraid that I would get strayed or will get in to bad people’s company. I was a quiet person who never spoke a lot even with classmates. I did not have friends and had to stay home all time. Sometimes I go out with my family but never let me go out with other people. However, when I came to America I saw advanced culture that has not many restrictions. Socializing is key to success in America and I was bad in it. When I started high school, I realized that I needed to improve my social skills. I started to make friends and began to socialize. I have many friends now and they treat me with respect. It does not matter to me that the person is bad or good if he or she treats me with respect, I will too. I still have problem in public speaking, its nearly impossible for me to talk freely. I never was able to speak openly even with my friends. I keep my friendship in limit according to the person how he or she treats me. I never judge a person by their skin color or background. I also realized people over here are really open-minded comparing to people in Pakistan. My first year of high school was really bad because I did not have any friends and stayed quiet all time. When I saw myself alone, then I decided to make friends and make myself socially active. In high school I made too many friends and learned new things about other people. I experienced the outside world. Moving to America changed the way I speak, made new friends, helped to get rid of my shyness, and gotten to know the outside world.

While I was in Pakistan, I saw people struggling in daily life. There weren’t good educational system and jobs opportunities because Pakistan isn’t a well-developed country where people can get good jobs with high pay rate. In Pakistan, if you had to study, you would have to go to the schools where you have to pay a lot of money that average people cannot afford. There were not any student programs that could help them to get financial help or any future development. When I moved to America, I saw new opportunities in studies and in my career, then it motivated me to work hard and to become successful. My elder brother also has a computer major and he teaches me programming when he is free. My main goal is to open a company that provides opportunities for programmers to get job easily and with fair pay rate. This could help advancement in programming field. When I started high school in America the first problem that I faced was language barrier. I hardy knew English. I could read and write English but it was first time I experienced to speak English. I used to get extremely nervous during class participation. When the teacher began to ask me questions, I started to get afraid that now I’ll answer in my broken language. My first experience was really bad because my voice was shaking and I was completely nervous. My reading skills in English were already good because I used to watch movies and anime. I learned British English in Pakistan but teachers were not that skilled that they could even speak English, which created trouble in learning English. I had gotten advance ESL class in high school and I passed the NYSESLAT in my first year. I really didn’t know how to write an essay or to do a graphic organizer. It was my English teacher who taught me how to write an essay and to do graphic organizer. Due to my hard work and my teacher’s teachings I was able to pass the CUNY assessment test and got admission in New York College Of Technology. Moving to America helped to remove the language barrier, provided me new goals and opportunities in studies and jobs.

Losing my father and introduction to a new culture in America had really big affect on me change in dressing code, family bond and experience in new world. Also affected my social skills and made changes in my behaviors that I was shy and never spoke to people but now I am changed. Furthermore, it also gave me new opportunities in studies and jobs and set new goals in my life. As I experienced new things in life, I began to learn the affects of cultural change within myself. Cultural diversity changed my life in positive way where I’ve also been respecting the teaching of my father and my native culture and will take it with me for whole life and pass it down to my generation.